Cavan woman to raise funds for Friedreich Ataxia

Raising awareness of a relatively little known disease was the inspiration behind a Cavan woman's plans to undertake a gruelling 800km walk this autumn. Each year more than 100,000 pilgrims complete the Camino de Santiago de Compostela walk, and now Deidre Reilly intends to join their number. Deirdre first got a taste of what lies ahead of her when she and her husband, Paddy, completed the opening three days of the walk, which is also known as the Way of St James, last year. Deirdre from Keadue in Cavan town, begins her venture on September 5 and hopes to conclude it on October 12. "I will be doing it at my own pace," she told The Anglo-Celt and she is looking forward to it. From 2006 Deirdre has been walking with the Cavan Walking Group virtually on a fortnightly basis and has scaled most of the highest peaks in Ireland as well as walking in such far flung places as Peru, France, Switzerland, Italy and El Hierro (one of the lesser known Canary Islands). "On average I will be walking 25km daily," Deirdre added. On the first day of her trek she will climb heights on the Pyrenees higher than Carrauntohill, staying in hostels nightly and carrying all her luggage along the route each day. Depending on your starting point, there are numerous caminos or historic routes for pilgrims to make their way the north eastern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostella, the most popular starts in southern France at the foot of the Pyrenees in St. Jean Pied de Port. Deirdre will have an early start each morning and complete her walk by 2pm or 2.30pm. One of the reasons Deirdre decided to do the walk is to create awareness of Friedreich's Ataxia which is an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. She intends to walk the Camino in aid of the charity Friedreich's Ataxia Society, Ireland. "One of my husband's first cousins, Philomena Halton from Corlurgan, Bailieborough has three children with Friedreich's Ataxia, one of whom, John, died last year," Deirdre explained. Deirdre would be delighted to accept donations for this worthy cause. All proceeds will go directly to the Friedreich's Ataxia Society and will be used solely for research purposes. Donations can be delivered by hand or posted to her at 20 Keadue, Cathedral Road, Cavan. She will be out of the country until August 13 and further information can be obtained by contacting 086 1500871 from August 14 onwards.